


Kumbaya (and Shit)

by Mallymkun



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Angst, Bible Camp, Blow Jobs, Bottom!Calum, Bullying, Eventual Smut, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Smut, Top!Michael, eventual lashton
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 03:11:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4548045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mallymkun/pseuds/Mallymkun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Calum shot Ashton a look. There were never new campers for senior summer. “Hey, I’m not kidding. This says that his parents just moved them here a few weeks ago and now he’s finishing out his camp years here.”<br/>“What’s his name?” Calum honestly couldn’t believe this kid was going to join during his senior summer.<br/>“Clifford, Michael Clifford.” Ashton read.<br/>“Huh,” Calum turned back to his bunk. “Sounds like an asshole.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Asshole

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written in forever so I'm sorry if this is terrible. I went to bible camp when I was younger and thought I would turn my lame experiences into inspiration for a cool fanfiction. Enjoy!

Calum looked forward to summer camp every year.

His parents had been sending him and his sister for as long as Calum could remember and he had grown up in the musty cabins and mess hall. This year he would finally be old enough to not have a camp counselor constantly telling him what to do.  
He was a senior camper.  
He looked down at his nametag and smiled at the title. Senior camper was the last step before being a camp counselor, and it was the best summer spent at camp. At least that’s what everyone said. His sister had loved her senior summer, and was constantly telling a new story from the three months she spent in the senior cabins. Now she was a counselor for the little kids and Calum would get his chance to make memories he would still be talking about for years. 

Mali pushed Calum’s duffle bag toward him once they had finished checking in. “Here’s your stuff, I have to go to the counselors meeting before the fireside hymns. You know where your cabin is?”  
Calum rolled his eyes, “Of course.” He had been going to the church camp since his parents had joined their current congregation. He knew every nook and cranny of the place.  
“Alright, go say hi to your friends.” She said with a smile, pointing him down the path. Calum gave her a small salute before slinging his duffle bag over his shoulder and leaving his sister near the front gate. He walked down the path, admiring the small signs of welcome positioned next to the token bible verses. When he reached cabin five he pushed the door open and smiled when he noticed that Ashton’s suitcase was already set out near one of the bunks.  
Ashton was older than Calum, and had become a counselor two years ago. This summer was his final summer and he would be spending it as one of Calum’s cabin counselors.  
He made himself busy, claiming a bunk and writing his name on the whiteboard beside it, along with his favorite worship song. It was a tradition at the camp and some people’s changed every year. As first year campers most of the boards had read, “Jesus loves me” or something along those lines. Calum’s had always stayed the same.  
He was in the middle of unpacking when he felt someone pat him on the shoulder, and turned to see Ashton grinning at him, his golden curls tied back by a bandana.  
“They put you in my cabin?” The older boy asked, excited.  
“I don’t think anyone else could handle me.” Calum responded with a shrug. Ashton didn’t disagree.  
“Well it’s good to have you.”  
Calum looked around, “Who else is in the cabin?”  
The older boy held up a finger before walking across the room and picking up a clipboard. “The usual, you’ve got Neilson, Brown, Smith, Hemmings, and a new one.” Calum shot Ashton a look. There were never new campers for senior summer. “Hey, I’m not kidding. This says that his parents just moved them here a few weeks ago and now he’s finishing out his camp years here.”  
“What’s his name?” Calum honestly couldn’t believe this kid was going to join during his senior summer.  
“Clifford, Michael Clifford.” Ashton read.  
“Huh,” Calum turned back to his bunk. “Sounds like an asshole.” 

Calum left to roam around camp before the others got to the cabin, and he was kind of glad. He knew all of the other names on the list beside the new kid, and he wasn’t fond of any of them except Hemmings. Luke was a good kid, smart and reasonably outgoing for someone so easily embarrassed. The guy could be awkward as all hell, but making friends had always come easily to him. He was just likable.  
They had met their first day of camp as kindergarteners. Camp was scary back then, and Calum had felt too small. He had protested when one of the camp counselors had asked him to let go of Mali’s hand. He had seen Luke sitting near the gates. His parents were checking him in and he was playing with his power ranger action figures, making his own sound effects as he narrated the story. Calum had giggled as Luke made a noise that was supposed to sound like a huge explosion. The blue-eyed boy had looked up and invited him to come play. Calum had pulled out his teenage mutant ninja turtle action figures, and together they had created a crossover they still bragged about to this day. They had been friends ever since.  
He was startled out of his memories by someone tapping his shoulder.  
“Excuse me? Dude? Can you hear me?” Calum turned to see a boy about his height with bright green hair looking at him with wide eyes.  
“Uh, yeah, sorry.” He shook his head, giving him a small smile.  
The other boy laughed, “No problem, we all zone out sometimes. I was just wondering if you knew how to get to cabin five?” Calum looked the boy over and realized he didn’t recognize him.  
“Wait, are you the new kid?”  
The boy grinned, “Oh good, I already have a reputation.” Calum sighed; he couldn’t help but think he was right about this kid being an asshole.  
“You’re in my cabin,” He said, blowing off his comment, “I’ll show you where it is.” 

The other boys had all arrived when Calum led Michael into the Cabin. Neilson had already claimed the top bunk on one of the beds, Smith taking the bottom. Calum was surprised to see that Luke had taken the other top bunk, Brown taking the space underneath.  
“Luke, I thought we always bunked together?” Calum asked, feeling slightly betrayed.  
“I really wanted top bunk this year, and Andrew let me have it.” Luke said with an apologetic shrug. “This way we’re right next to each other, no one has to lean over the edge.” He offered. Calum just shot a glare at Andrew Brown and turned back to his bunk.  
“I guess you’re stuck with me, Clifford.” He said, turning back to the green haired boy.  
“I prefer Michael.”  
Calum raised an eyebrow, “Cool, but most of us go by last names unless your real familiar, and no one is real familiar with you yet, so I would get used to Clifford.” Michael shrugged, throwing his things down on the bottom bunk. Calum caught Ashton’s attention, waving him over. “Ash, this is Clifford.” Ashton smiled, holding out the hand that wasn’t holding his clipboard.  
“I’m Ashton Irwin, I’ll be your camp counselor. Jack is going to be your other counselor, he should be here soon.”  
Calum snorted, “Jack Barakat is our other counselor?” He asked.  
Ashton frowned, “Yeah, but we already talked and he promised me he’d be on best behavior.”  
“Unlikely.” Luke whispered to Calum, causing the two to snicker. Michael watched the exchange with interested eyes, as if he was slowly figuring out how everyone ticked. Calum didn’t like it.  
Ashton huffed, “Well, we have fireside hymns in a few minutes, so we should head up.”  
“So we’re gonna sing Kumbaya and all that shit?” Michael asked, amused.  
Calum’s eyes shot up to his bunk where the song was written beside his name. “Yeah, we usually sing and the leaders will play guitar.”  
“I play the drums.” Ashton added with a grin. His drumming was always something he was proud of.  
“Interesting.” Calum could hear the sarcasm dripping from the word.  
Yeah, he thought, asshole.


	2. Up the Hill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A disagreement about peanut butter cups, and a morning hike gone wrong.

Calum sat by Luke during the fireside hymns and pointedly ignored Michael who sat in the row behind them. Michael would scoff every time the leaders introduced a new song. Calum tried to have fun and enjoy the music, he clapped loudly for the musicians after every song, but it felt as if Michael’s presence was a constant dark cloud. 

After the hymns they ended the night with the first smores cookout of the summer. The first night was the only night the campers didn’t eat dinner at the camp so everyone was eager for a smore, including Luke who was noticeably bouncing in place waiting for the marshmallows to be brought over to where he was sitting.  
“Chill out.” Every time Luke moved his shoulder brushed up against Calum’s hard enough to push him slightly to the side.  
Luke just shook his head, “No way, I’m starving; my mom refused to stop and grab me something to eat on the way here. Can I go before you?” He asked, not taking his eyes off the leaders who were handing out the supplies.  
“Yeah, I guess.” Calum figured it would be wise to avoid getting in-between Luke and his smores, even if he desperately wanted one of his own.  
Calum was in the middle of deciding whether he was going to ask for Hershey’s chocolate or Reese’s peanut butter cups when he heard someone come up behind him. “What are they made out of?” He turned to see Clifford who was looking curiously at the bags the counselors were holding.  
“What do you mean?” Luke tore his gaze away from the food to look at Michael.  
“I mean, what’s a smore?” Calum swore he heard Luke’s heart break a little.  
“Dude, you’ve never had a smore?”  
“No, it wasn’t really a thing we did back at the other camp.”  
Luke shook his head, “I don’t know what kind of camp you were at, but smores are a classic. It’s two graham cracker pieces with a toasted marshmallow and a piece of chocolate in-between. Calum likes to soil his with peanut butter cups.”  
Calum glared at Luke before turning back to one of the leaders who held out a graham cracker for him to take. “I don’t soil it. The peanut butter cups are an improvement.”  
Luke looked at him in disbelief. “Who hurt you?”  
“Your face.”  
“That didn’t make any sense.”  
“Shut up and eat your smore.” 

The walk back the cabin seemed to take forever. Luke and Michael had bonded over the purity of the “original chocolate smore” and were now discussing the benefits of cooking hot dogs over a campfire. Calum couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. It had always been him and Luke at camp. He wasn’t used to anyone else taking up any of Luke’s time.  
“Don’t you think, Calum?” He looked up to find Luke staring at him expectantly.  
“I’m sorry, what?”  
“I said don’t you think Clifford will fit right in with our cabin.” Calum looked back at the green haired boy who was smiling widely. He tried to find any malice in it, but it seemed genuine. It didn’t matter; he was still an asshole.  
“We’ll see.” He sped ahead, walking briskly so he could reach the cabin before the other two.  
“What crawled up his ass and died?” He heard Clifford joke.  
“I don’t know. He can get a little testy sometimes, but he’s a good guy.”  
“Yeah, ok. Whatever you say.” Calum wanted to turn around and punch him in the face, but he didn’t really want to be asked to leave camp on the first day so he just continued to walk, leaving the other two far behind him. 

The first morning was always hell. Waking up at four thirty to hike up a mountain for sunrise service wasn’t really any teenager’s idea of fun, especially not Calum’s, but everyone was forced to go once they had started their seventh year at camp. He had rolled out of bed, pulled on the closest items of clothing and followed Ashton and Jack out the door.  
The hike was about a mile and a half up. For the most part, no one talked; it was just a lot of heavy breathing as lungs adjusted to the cold air and elevation. Jack, however, did not shut up. He spent the entire hike up pointing at random plants and giving them sexual “latin” names. “Ah, look, the fornicatus dickus.” He exclaimed out, pointing to a pinecone.  
“Jesus Christ, Barakat, if you do not shut up-“ Ashton finally yelled, tired of Jack’s constant dick jokes. Ashton had always been the type to blush at innuendos and Jack had always managed to push all of his buttons.  
“Gosh, Irwin, we’re on the way to a place of the Lord, watch your mouth.” Calum thought he heard Ashton grumble something in response, but they had finally reached the end of the trail where the small quad was set up. Some of the campers had beaten them to the top, already sitting in rows around the morning worship leader. Calum took a seat on the other side of the quad, away from Luke and Michael. Luke flashed him a worried look, but he ignored it.  
Morning worship passed quickly and Calum started his hike back down the mountain far behind his group. He could see Luke and Michael in front of him. They were far behind most of the others as well, laughing and pushing each other as they walked. Calum looked back to the ground, watching his feet move expertly over the trail he had walked hundreds of times.  
“Shit!” His head shot up, looking for whatever had disturbed the quiet. He saw Luke standing on the trail looking around frantically.  
“Luke!” Calum jogged up to the other boy who looked relieved to see him.  
“Cal, I pushed Michael a little to hard and he tripped down the hill.” Luke was clearly panicking. The trail was slightly elevated and on either side there was a short slope, maybe twenty feet, which lead down to the forest floor. It was gradual and not incredibly dangerous. Calum had used to slide down it all the time.  
“Hey, it’s ok, I went down there loads of times. I’ll go get him.” He was trying to keep Luke from panicking. A stressed out Luke was never a fun sight. Calum started navigating his way down the hill. He switched between leaning back and letting himself slide, and digging his feet in as he walked. When he finally reached the bottom he found Michael sitting next to a tree.  
“The rescue crew is here!” Michael said with a smirk, “Are you all they sent? I thought this would be a national emergency.”  
Calum glared, “Don’t be a smartass. Luke was freaking out and I felt obliged to help. If it was just me, I would have left you down here.”  
“You would never leave me behind, I’m too pretty.”  
“Whatever, Clifford, let’s go.” He pointed to the hill, “I’ll show you how to get back up.”  
“I can’t walk.” Calum turned back to the green haired boy.  
“Excuse me?”  
Michael smirked, “You’re going to have to carry me, I twisted my ankle. I can’t walk.” Calum watched his lips stretch into a wide smile and for a moment was taken aback by how pink they looked. He had never seen lips like that on a guy. “Did you hear me?”  
Calum shook his head, “Nope, no way, I’m not carrying you.”  
“Why? Afraid you’ll like being that close to me?”  
“I’m not a fag, Clifford, I just don’t want to carry your heavy ass up the hill.” Michael’s smile disappeared and Calum had a moment where his stomach dropped. He didn’t want to be the reason Michael was frowning. Wait, that was ridiculous. Why would he care in the first place? Calum pushed the thoughts away and looked at Michael. “Okay, I’ll carry you. But you owe me.” He walked over, letting Michael climb onto his back before starting towards the hill. Calum knew he would be able to carry him; he had always been athletic and constantly pushed his own limits. His progress was slower than it usually would have been, each step incredibly calculated to ensure the two didn’t go tumbling back down the hill. When he finally reached the top he was breathing hard.  
“Oh thank god, I thought you both had died.” Luke ran over, helping Michael climb down off of Calum’s back.  
“Yeah, well we missed breakfast because you two couldn’t keep your hands to yourself.”  
“We can still go to the canteen, I’ll buy you some snacks or something. I owe you.” Michael offered, leaning on Luke’s shoulder.  
“I don’t want anything from you, Clifford. Next time you two decide to be idiots, leave me out of it.” Michael started to say something, but Calum turned away, heading back down the trail.  
“He’ll warm up eventually.” Luke assured, slinging Michael’s arm around his shoulder so they could make their way down the mountain.  
“I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you think in the comments! Your input means a lot to me!


	3. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calum has a really hard time making Michael's life a living hell. Michael keeps making Calum's life a living hell by accident. Calum makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took me so long. I just started my senior year of high school, and getting everything sorted in the first few weeks was hell. The updates should be more regular from now on. I'm going to try and update every Monday.

Everyone loved Michael fucking Clifford, and Calum was done.

The camp counselors loved him, the camp leaders loved him, all of the seniors loved him, heck, even the little kids thought his hair was magical. Calum on the other hand, well, everyone seemed to hate Calum. Brown had told him off for reading after lights out, Neilson sabotaged his shower after he had accidentally knocked him out of a canoe, and Smith had purposefully given him the faulty rock climbing harness. Lucky for Calum, he had only made it only six feet up the fake cliffside before he saw a spider on one of the hand holds and had fallen backwards with a very manly shriek. He still wasn't sure why Smith had done it.  
On top of that, Luke had started to basically ignore him so he could hang out with Michael instead. He was sure Luke didn't realize that he had completely abandoned him, but it still hurt. Even Ashton had yelled at Calum for not cleaning up his bunk and leaving their cabin back pack by the fire pit. All things considered, the only person he really had to talk to was Jack. 

"I'm gonna put pink hair dye in Smith's shampoo." He told Jack one day when they were the only ones in the cabin.  
"Okay, one, it doesn't work like that. If Smith is a normal person he only keeps his shampoo in for about forty seconds and hair dye needs 20 to 40 minutes. Two, Smith was the one who almost killed you, if I remember correctly. I don't think pissing him off is a good idea." Jack looked back down at the guitar magazine he was reading.  
Calum thought for a moment,"Then I'll dye Clifford's." He decided, thinking of the boy's newly bleached head.  
Jack put the magazine down, interested once again, "How do you plan on doing that?" He asked.  
"I'll put it in his hair while he's sleeping. He sleeps like a rock and if it looks crappy it'll be funnier." Calum said, seeing his plan start to come together.  
Jack thought for a minute before shrugging. "Okay, do you have the hair dye?"  
"Wait," Calum said, looking skeptically at his counselor, "aren't you supposed to be discouraging this? Don't you have responsibilities as a counselor, or whatever?"  
"Probably. And I'm not really sure why you hate this Clifford kid so much, but I'm known to enjoy a good prank."  
"So we're doing this?"  
Jack smiled, putting his hands up, "Oh no, you're doing this. I'm just gonna pretend not to notice and try not to laugh too hard when he wakes up with bright pink hair." 

Calum snuck down from his bunk an hour before wake up call was sounded. He grabbed the pink hair dye Jack had given him from inside his day pack and flipped the cap on the bottle, putting on the gloves before squeezing a generous amount into his palm. Clifford was asleep on his stomach which made Calum grin. It was perfect. He had full access to the fluffy white hair.  
He started to run the dye through it, only feeling bad when Michael hummed at the feeling of someone's hands in his hair. It took Calum a minute to continue after that. Why was he doing this in the first place? Michael had never been mean to Calum. His eyes wandered over to where Luke slept and he felt that little jealous flare light up in his chest again.  
He squeezed more dye into his palm and continued his work. 

When wakeup call was sounded Calum waited a moment before getting down from his bunk. He heard Clifford walking towards the bathroom and Ashton's shocked gasp when the boy walked past him. He heard the showers turn on a minute later, but was confused when he didn't hear a screech. Twenty minutes later Michael emerged from the bathroom with freshly dried pink hair.  
"Michael!" Ashton shrieked, appalled by the bright color that seemed to manifest itself over night. Michael just shrugged.  
"Dude, that looks awesome!" Smith said, inspecting the new color.  
Michael just gave him his signature smile. "Thanks." 

Calum didn't know what else he could do to make Michael's life a living hell. He had given Michael the wrong set of rules so he had cheated at cards, and the boys passed it off as a simple mistake. He had given him and Neilson a paddle boat where only one set of paddles worked. Michael had hopped out and swam the boat back to shore. Calum had put Michael's purple Red Hot Chili Peppers t-shirt into the wash with the sheets and dyed everyone's sheets a shade of lavender, but Ashton just told him it was a reasonable mistake.  
Calum was running out of options. 

He knew it was against camp rules. In fact, it was soooooo against camp rules that if he was caught he would be sent home for the summer and not allowed back, but he needed to get to Clifford. Jack caught him as he snuck out.  
"Where are you going?" He whispered expectantly.  
"I have to pee." Calum answered lamely.  
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Cause there's a bathroom attached to the cabin."  
Calum sighed, "Ok, I need to take a shit and I didn't want to stink up the cabin. Those baked beans really disagreed with me man." He said, watching Jack's face become slowly more disgusted.  
"Gross. Alright, go." Calum nodded gratefully, and left. He knew Jack would fall back asleep as soon as he left. 

When he got to the main building he wasn't surprised to find the door unlocked. They were pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so the risk of theft wasn't really at the forefront of their minds. He made his way though the building and finally found the Camp Owner's office. It was pretty plain, and held only a cash register, an old computer, and some filing cabinets. He walked over to the cabinets, going into the senior files and pulling out Michael's.  
The first page was pretty self-explanatory. It had Michael's birthday, address, allergies, and contact information listed along with his picture. Calum flipped the page and found a list of Michael's medical history and scanned it. He found nothing interesting, so he flipped the page again. This time he stopped to read, his jaw slowly dropping. 

"Michael previously attended Hillview's troubled boys camp. He was recommended to the camp for counseling by his parents who found he needed it due to his apparent case of homosexuality. Michael showed very little progress at the camp, and when his parents moved they requested he be transferred here. He has shown no behavioral problems at this camp so far. He continues to attend weekly counseling sessions per his parent's request." 

Calum couldn't believe what he had just read. Michael had gone to a gay camp. Michael was gay. 

Calum looked at the paper again. He knew that this information leaking would ruin Michael. If there was one thing anyone could say for certain about this camp in particular, it was that the churches that created it weren't particularly nice when it came to homosexuality. If this got out, everyone would hate him. 

But wasn't that what Calum had wanted in the first place? 

He pulled out his phone, snapping a photo of the report before closing it and walking out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I read this over approximately once. There are probably a million mistakes. Please comment! Comments inspire me to write, and I may be able to update again this week if there's some feedback. Don't hold me to that.


	4. Not Sorry (Sorry)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calum isn't sorry, except for when he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this tiny chapter took me so long. I've been swamped with my college application. Hopefully I'll be able to update again on Monday. 
> 
> Just another warning, this chapter contains words many people may find hurtful and offensive.

The news was everywhere.  
It seemed as if every person Calum spoke with had heard about Michael, and he couldn't help but feel satisfied with himself. It had only been a couple of hours since he had sent the photo out using an anonymous number, but the news had spread fast. Michael's usually full table in the canteen was now nearly empty; only him and Luke sat there, Michael staring at his sandwich as Luke muttered the occasional statement trying to start a conversation.  
Calum continued to talk with his friends, occasionally just listening as they spoke about the scandal. He continued to glance over at the table periodically. His mood changed when he saw a single tear slip down Michael's cheek. Calum avoided looking at the table after that. 

Lunch was almost over when Calum felt someone standing behind him. He turned to find Luke looking down on him, his blue eyes icy with anger.  
"I know it was you, Cal." He accused. Everyone else at the table stopped talking.  
"I'm not sure what you're talking about." Calum feigned disinterest, looking back down at the chips he was eating.  
Luke shoved his shoulder, causing him to turn back around. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, you sent out that photo of Michael's file."  
"You can't prove anything."  
The blonde boy just shook his head, "No, I can't, but I thought I knew you Cal, I thought you were better than that. I guess I was wrong." Luke started to walk away.  
"Yeah, whatever, Hemmings, go hang out with your boyfriend." Calum called after him. Luke froze, turning back with tears in his eyes.  
"Fuck you, Hood." 

A week passed fairly quickly. Everyone in the cabin avoided Michael except for Ashton, Luke, and Jack. Some of Jack's counselor friends, Rian and Zack, took pity on him as well. Everyone else avoided him. He had dyed his hair back to a dirty blonde color, no longer sticking out in the crowd, and Calum really only saw him and Luke in the morning. Calum had regained all of his other friends, but the hole left by Luke couldn't be filled.  
"I think Clifford should be forced to leave camp." Brown said as they sat in the cabin one night. Michael was in the bunk across the room, but all of the boys spoke as if he wasn't there. "My parents have a problem with faggots like him being allowed here." The rest of the boys nodded, adding statements of agreement. Calum tuned out the rest of their conversation.  
"You up for it, Cal?" One of the boys asked.  
"What?"  
"You up for a trip down to the lake."  
Calum blinked, "It's dark outside."  
The boys laughed, "Well, yeah, that's the point of a night swim. What, you afraid?"  
"No, I, uh, I just don't feel good." It wasn't exactly a lie, he hadn't felt well since what had happened with Michael.  
"Whatever." He watched the boys file out of the cabin and took a deep breath. 

He knew Michael had gotten up at some point to take a shower, and he knew the thought of taking a shower with Michael in there should bother him, but when he ran a hand through his greasy hair he couldn't find it in himself to care. He was about to open the door to the bathroom when he heard something that almost made him turn away.  
Michael was crying.  
He could hear the sobs wrack through his body, almost hidden by the heavy spray of the showers. He opened the door slowly, walking down the row of stalls to find Michael sitting in the corner of one of the showers, the water missing him by inches. The boy looked up immediately.  
"Go away." He demanded, shielding himself from Calum's view. He was trying to sound tough, but his voice had cracked.  
Calum wasn't really sure what drove him to make his next move, maybe it was the thought that he had hurt someone so badly that they were hiding, crying in the shower.  
He stepped into the shower and sat down beside Michael, still fully clothed. "I said, go away, Hood. Aren't you afraid your friends will catch you in the shower with a fag like me?" He mocked. Michael broke down again his hands clutching at his shoulders, trying to hold himself together.  
Calum reached over, pushing the wet hair out of crying boy's face. Michael looked up, confused and Calum put an arm around him, pulling him to his side.  
"What are you doing?" Michael asked softly. Calum didn't answer, he just sat there until Michael had calmed down and stopped crying. "That wasn't an apology." Michael finally said after a few moments of silence.  
"It wasn't supposed to be one." Calum replied, and with that he stood up and left the showers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kind comments! Feel free to talk to me about where you want the story to go! You can also come find me on tumblr at punkcutiemichael.tumblr.com


	5. Save Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What the fuck is happening to my life?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Look who updated on time! This chapter has a lot going on and is kind of a turning point in the story. Enjoy!

Calum and Michael didn’t talk about the incident in the shower after that day, in fact, they avoided it at all costs. He spent his time with the other boys, especially Neilson and Brown.  
“We need to let Clifford know to watch his back.” Brown said one day while they sat by the lake, weaving the reeds into crosses for the younger children’s worship service.  
“Michael is already watching his back, he knows people are out to get him.” Calum pointed out, not looking up from his work.  
“Yeah, but he’s still too comfortable. He needs to know what a freak he is.” Neilson added. Calum didn’t say anything.  
“I say we put him through the initiation.”  
He immediately tensed, “We can’t do that to him.”  
Neilson frowned, “Why?”  
“The last time any of the groups put anyone through the initiation the whole camp was shut down for a week, that boy went to the hospital.” Calum said, his voice raising, “He could die.”  
“One less fag walking around.” Brown said with a shrug. “Besides, most of the boys here have been through it, he may be fine, just a little spooked.”  
Calum remembered his own initiation. It was his seventh grade summer and Jack’s group had been the one to perform it. He remembered the absolute terror that came with being taken out of his bed, gagged, and tied up. The boys had carried him down to the lake and blind folded him before getting in a boat. Calum remembered them rowing for at least ten minutes, giving him the impression that they had rowed to the middle of the lake, when really they had only gone about forty feet from the shore. They had dumped him in the freezing water and left him there to flounder for about thirty seconds before he realized the ropes were barely tied and he could easily break free.  
Most of the boys who had been through the initiation had realized that the ropes were faulty, but a few years ago the boy who went through it hadn’t. He had blacked out before the other boys realized something was wrong, and he ended up being fished out and given cpr before being taken to the hospital.  
“I’ve already talked to the other boys about it. It’s set to happen tomorrow night.” Calum glared at Neilson, but quickly shifted his gaze to the cross he was working on. He knew that the boys would do it. He would just have to make sure nothing went wrong. 

Calum woke up the next night to hushed whispers. He heard them gag Michael before tying him up, and he heard the scuffle of them walking out of the cabin as Michael struggled to get away. He thought of how terrified Michael must be and shuddered. He wasn’t sure why they hadn’t woken him up to participate, but he figured it had something to do with his earlier protests.  
He waited another moment before climbing down and following out the door, staying a ways behind the other boys so he could keep an eye on the situation. Calum hid in the reeds and watched the boys row out into the lake. They went a little farther than most would and he narrowed his eyes, watching carefully and wincing when Michael hit the water with a small splash. 

He felt like screaming when the boys starting rowing back to shore. 

They were just going to leave him out there to drown. He waited, every second feeling like an eternity, for the boys to leave. When they were finally stepping out of the boat and walking away he waded into the water, starting to frantically search for Michael. When he found him, he wasn’t moving, and was sinking slowly down to the bottom of the lake.  
Calum grabbed him, pulled him up, and swam towards the shore, his muscles burning with the added weight. When he reached the beach he tore off the blindfold and took the gag off, undoing the bindings.  
“Michael, come on. Wake up.” He begged, shaking the other boy’s shoulders. He sat Michael up, delivering a hard hit to his back. He heard him gag, spitting up water. He did it again, until the boy took a deep breath. “Holy shit.” Calum breathed, helping Michael stay sitting upright. “Those bastards were going to drown you.” He hadn’t realized he had been shaking until Michael put a hand on his shoulder.  
“Thank you.” Michael said softly. His voice was raspy from the water he had inhaled, and he was shivering in the cold air.  
“I wasn’t going to let them drown you.” Calum looked down at his lap and took a deep breath. “Fuck, Michael, I’m so sorry, I leaked your records and I didn’t realize what it would do. I was just upset that you were so popular, and everyone loved you, even Luke, and I couldn’t deal with it all- I mean, there’s no excuse for any of this honestly. Nothing I say can make this right. I’m so fucking sorry. This isn’t who I am.” Calum felt a tear run down his face and he curled into himself slightly, trying to eliminate the cold breeze that seemed to seep into his bones.  
“I know, Calum.” Michael said, placing a hand on Calum’s leg hesitantly. “Luke’s told me about you. He was so shocked when the records were leaked because he knew it had to be you, he just couldn’t believe it.”  
“I’m not going to let them pull anything like that again.” Calum promised, he looked up, his dark brown eyes latching on to light green ones. “I swear to god they won’t get away with any of that shit, that’s just wrong.”  
“But to you, so is being gay.” Calum sat for a moment, staring at the lake.  
“No, no it’s not wrong. There’s nothing wrong with liking boys, Michael.”  
Michael snorted, shaking his head, “The people here seem to think so. You must have thought so if you leaked my records.”  
“The first time I ever had a crush on a boy, I was so confused.” Calum started, clearing his throat, “I knew my parents had talked about it, I just wasn’t sure what I was supposed to think about it happening to me. I really liked this kid at school, his name was James. He was fucking perfect in the oddest ways, I mean just hilarious and charming, all the girls loved him too.” He took a breath, looking back at Michael, “So I asked my parents about liking James. They grounded me for two months and made me switch schools. After all of that they sat down with me and explained it was a phase, and it was something I could control. They told me it was wrong. I told them that I still liked girls, I just liked boys too, but they didn’t care. They monitored everything I did until almost a year later when I finally told them it was a phase. Of course, it wasn’t a phase, but I figured if I ever fell for a boy again, I would just ignore it and wait to fall in love with a girl.” He sighed, “I’ve had more girlfriends than anyone else in this camp. Everything I do is supposed to prove that I’m no different than anyone else here, just your regular christian boy. Little do they know, huh? So no, Michael,” he finished quietly, “I don’t think liking boys is wrong.”  
The silence was uncomfortable until Michael spoke up. “So you like Luke?”  
Calum laughed, “No, I don’t like Luke. Luke’s my best friend, but I couldn’t see him as anything other than a brother.”  
“You’re still not going to hang out with us, are you? You’re still going to stay with them.”  
The dark haired boy sighed, “Michael, I can’t, you have to understand-“  
“I understand, Calum.” Michael stood up, leaning down and pressing a kiss to Calum’s cheek. “Thank you for, you know, saving my life. That was nice of you. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

After he was gone, Calum laid back on the sand, a hand pressed to his cheek where Michael had kissed it. The spot felt warm compared to the cold that covered every other part of his body.  
Calum looked up at the stars and thought of everything that had already happened this summer, and he thought of what would happen the rest of the summer, and the undeniable fluttering he felt in his chest. Calum closed his eyes and muttered a question to no one in particular.  
“What the fuck is happening to my life? “

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment! Also, would you guys be interested in me making a playlist for this? I totally could. Anyway, you can find me at punkcutiemichael.tumblr.com if you want to come talk to me!


	6. Sick (or The Magical Healing Power of Orgasms)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calum is sick, feelings are stupid, Michael helps out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I have not updated in forever! I'm so sorry, but I was actually accepted into my top college, so now I don't have to worry about applications anymore. That means more writing! Anyway, I was really sick while writing this so don't judge it too hard. Hope you like it!

Calum was miserable. After the incident at the lake he got incredibly sick, and Ashton had offered to drive him to the hospital more than once, but Calum insisted it was just a cold.  
“How did you manage to get this sick?” Jack asked, offering Calum more of the pills he was on to keep his fever down.  
“Went for a swim at night.” Calum said, he didn’t feel too bad. It wasn’t technically a lie.  
“Next time can you try not being stupid so I’m not stuck looking after you.” Calum missed the usually joking tone of Jack’s voice. He genuinely disliked Calum now. In fact, anyone Calum considered to be his actual friend now hated him. Ashton hadn’t even looked at him when he had taken his temperature this morning.  
“No, I’m quite content being an idiot.”  
Jack scoffed, “Obviously.” He stepped away from the bunk and sighed, “Ok, well, try and sleep it off. I’m going to campfire worship.”  
When Jack was gone, Calum closed his eyes and curled up on his side. This cold seemed to be an exact reflection of how shitty he felt on the inside. Neilson had been bothering Calum all week about planning another prank to pull on Michael and Calum had tried his hardest to deter him. “Anyone would think you like the fag,” Neilson had sneered, “but I know you’re better than that Hood.” 

Calum shuddered. He hadn’t been able to think about anything other than Michael all week, and if anyone found out he would be dead.  
He was jolted out of his thoughts and near sleep when someone opened the cabin door. Calum recognized the dirty blonde hair right away, and smiled weakly. He felt Michael climb up and sit at the edge of the bed near the ladder.  
“How are you feeling?” Michael asked softly, he was barely visible in the dark cabin, the moon only illuminating his silhouette.  
“Like shit.” Calum groaned. He felt Michael shift and lay down beside him.  
“Do you mind?” The boy asked. He was close enough now that Calum could make out his features in the dark.  
Calum shook his head,“No.” They simply laid there for a few minutes before Calum spoke again. “Thank you. For being here with me.”  
Michael laughed, “It’s not a problem, Cali.” Calum’s breath hitched at the nickname.  
“I’ve been so lonely lately. I think it’s the universe getting back at me for what I did to you.”  
Michael shifted to look at him again, “What you did was wrong, but I don’t hate you for it. You don’t deserve to be isolated either, but as long as you stay with the other boys all of our friends will think you’re just like them.”  
Calum could feel Michael’s breath on his cheek. He was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by his loneliness, by his feelings for Michael, and by the consequences those feelings would have if brought to light. “I want to,” he choked out, feeling tears well in his eyes, “I want to so badly, but I can’t Mikey. If my parents heard, they would know. They’re still suspicious, Michael. I can’t do it, I’m not brave enough.” He was full on crying now, and Michael pulled him to his chest.  
“Shhh,” he soothed, “it’s alright. I know, Cali, I know.”  
“Why are you so nice? It would be easier if you hated me.” He continued to cry, letting himself fall apart it Michael’s arms.  
Michael pulled back to look at him, “I could never hate you, Calum.” And Michael was kissing him. It was wet, partially from the way that the small peck had quickly turned into a messy, frantic, kissing, and partially from the tears still slowly running down Calum’s face.  
“Michael.” He whined, tangling his hands in the sandy blonde hair.  
“I’ve got you. I’m here.” Michael reassured before reconnecting their lips. Michael’s thigh rested between Calum’s and he could feel himself naturally start to rut against it. “So good, Cali, you’re so good for me.”  
“Michael, please.” He could feel himself giving in, everything that was telling him to stop, that he should be careful, that someone could walk in, all of that was pushed to the back of his mind.  
“Are you sure, Calum, you have to be sure.” Michael sounded worried now.  
“Yes, just do something.” He begged. He felt Michael’s hand slip beneath the waistband of his pajama pants and he palmed him through his boxers. Calum’s head fell back onto the pillow, his mouth hanging open. Michael straddled his thighs, leaning forward to catch Calum’s bottom lip with his teeth. He moved away again, pulling the waistband of Calum’s pants and boxers down in one slow movement. Calum was embarrassingly hard, and was sure he wouldn’t last long once Michael’s hand was around his dick. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He whined, feeling Michael’s thumb brush teasingly over his tip. Calum opened his eyes, trying to find Michael in the dark. The moon only lit one side of his face, but he could see him. He was completely focused on Calum, biting his lip as he watched his hand move over Calum’s dick.  
His hand moved faster and Calum groaned, “You’re so fucking gorgeous, Calum. So pretty, and such a pretty dick too.”  
“I’m gonna cum, Mikey.” He bucked his hips up into Michael’s hand, frantically seeking his high.  
“Cum for me, babe.” Michael ordered, leaning forward and nipping at his jaw, “Come on, cum for me.” Calum felt his orgasm tear through him. He let out a long moan, continuing to rut up into Michael’s hand, working himself through his high. “So good, Cali, so pretty for me.” Calum sighed, finally relaxing back onto the pillow.  
“Fuck, Michael.” He breathed.  
Michael smiled, pressing a kiss to his lips, “You’re welcome, but I should probably go take a shower. I’ve got your cum all over my jesus camp tank top and the other boys will be back soon.”  
Calum laughed, kissing him on the nose, “I want to help you out.” He looked down to where Michael’s erection strained against his pants.  
“Maybe another time. But I do have one request.”  
Calum nodded, “Shoot.”  
“Eat lunch with me tomorrow.” Calum froze. “Cali, please.”  
“Okay,” he whispered, “okay.” Michael smiled, laying a hand against Calum’s forehead.  
“You seem less congested, and your fever has gone down.” He noted.  
Calum chuckled, “The magical healing power of orgasms.” Michael giggled.  
He watched him start to climb down the ladder, but he stopped, climbing back up and giving Calum another kiss, “Goodnight, Calum.”  
Calum watched him walked back down the ladder and into the bathroom, “Night, Michael.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment! Your comments keep me writing!


	7. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calum has a hard time making up his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo super quick updates for the win.

Walking into the mess hall had never seemed so frightening. He knew that when he walked through the doors he would be forced to make a choice: keep his promise and sit next to Michael, or walk over to his normal table.   
He wanted to run to Michael’s table, and sit down close enough that their shoulder’s brushed. He wanted to apologize to Luke, and explain himself. He wanted his friends back.   
But at the same time he didn’t want his life to change. He didn’t want to be ridiculed and possibly kicked out of his house. He didn’t want to face his parents’ disappointed faces. He didn’t want to be thought of as different, even though that’s what he really was. 

He pushed the door open. There was no dramatic moment of silence. No one stopped and stared at him, everyone just went about their business. He locked eyes with Michael. Calum started walking, weaving his way through the tables. His mind was screaming at him and he wanted to run out of the cafeteria as fast as he could. 

He walked past Michael’s table. 

He could feel the other boy’s eyes on him, but he shook away the feeling, and the tears that stung at the back of his eyes. He was so weak. He couldn’t do it, and he hated himself for it.   
“You okay, Hood?” Brown asked once Calum had taken a seat. He nodded, waving off the boy’s question, and staring pointedly at the grey speckled table. 

 

He didn’t talk to Michael the rest of the day, and when he finally got the chance to, the blonde boy was seething.   
“Calum, you promised me.” He said, his arms crossed over his chest.   
“I know.”   
“Then what the fuck was that? Why didn’t you sit with us? You just expect me to give you a handjob and then fuck off because you got whatever it was you were feeling out of your system?”   
Calum frowned, “Michael, you know that wasn’t-“   
Michael cut him off, “Then what, Calum, what was it?”   
Calum felt cornered. His back was pressed up against the tile wall of the cabin’s bathroom and the fluorescent lights shone into his eyes, making him squint.   
“I’m a coward.” Calum said faintly, his breath catching in his throat. “I keep hurting you because I’m scared, and you don’t deserve that.”   
Michael laughed, but it wasn’t the pleasant sound Calum was used to, it was harsh and cold. “You know what? You’re right. I don’t.” 

Calum watched him leave with tears in his eyes. When the green eyed boy was gone he shed his clothes, stepping under the hot spray of the shower, turning the handle so it was all the way into the red. The water was too hot, and it burned his back, but he took it, standing under it while tears fell steadily down his face. He wasn’t sure when he sat down, back still exposed to the searing water, but he sat with his knees tucked to his chest, his head resting across his folded arms. The tears had stopped, and his back had all but become numb to the pain from the shower.   
He didn’t hear Luke come in, and he didn’t move when the blonde boy pulled back the curtain.   
“Calum?”   
He didn’t respond.   
“Calum? Can you hear me?” He felt Luke move toward him, reaching an arm out to touch his shoulder, but gasping in pain and pulling away when he felt the hot water. “Ashton!” The older boy came running in.   
“Luke? Are you ok, what’s wrong?” Ashton had his hands on Luke’s shoulders as the younger boy looked at him worriedly.   
“Something’s wrong with Calum.” Was all Luke could say.   
Calum wasn’t sure who pulled him out and wrapped him in a towel, but he could hear Jack and Ashton talking as he laid across Ashton’s bunk. He figured they had put him there instead of his own because it would have been too hard to get him up to the top. They had laid him down on his stomach so he wouldn’t further hurt his back.   
“He hasn’t said anything? Or moved?” Jack asked.   
“No, I don’t know what happened. The nurse said that the burns were only first degree, nothing worse than a sunburn, but she doesn’t know why he’s like this. She thinks something may have caused him to go into shock?”   
Calum didn’t think he was in shock, he just felt empty.   
The door swung open, “Ash, where is he? Is he okay?” Calum would recognize the voice anywhere.   
“We don’t know. His burns are superficial, but if he doesn’t snap out of it soon we’re taking him to the hospital.” He heard someone kneel at the side of his bed, and they reached out, stroking his hair softly.   
“Calum?” He knew Michael was close to him, but he didn’t turn to look. “Cali, please, look at me.” Calum blinked, turning his head so he could see Michael. “Hey, there you are. Does your back hurt? It looks like shit.” Calum almost laughed. It was so like Michael, so kind and soft one moment, and crass and loud the next.   
“Yes.” Calum murmured. The skin on his back stung, but it wasn’t unbearable.   
“Why’d you sit in the shower that long, Calum? And why’d you have the water on so hot?”   
Calum shook his head, turning away, “Go away.” His voice held no malice, just a plea.   
“Ok, I’ll come back to check on you later? Is that ok, Cali?” Calum didn’t answer, and Michael sighed. “He’ll be ok. Just make sure to get something to put on his back. It looks like it hurts.” Michael said, standing.   
“What happened, Michael?” Ashton asked, “What happened between the two of you?”   
“It’s complicated, Ashton. His friends can’t know I came to see him. Keep an eye on him, ok?”   
Ashton just nodded, watching Michael walk out the door.  
“What the fuck is going on this year?” Jack asked.   
“I’m not quite sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment!


	8. Loud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calum is conflicted. Michael is loud. Things start going downhill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this took me forever. I have no excuse other than writer's block.

The other boys were afraid of him now. Calum didn't mind. He still sat with them, but they watched him warily, like he might snap. 

It had been three days since Calum had spoken with Michael, and every time he caught the other boy's eye he could see the concern. He didn't want it. He wanted to hurt for what he had done to Michael, what he was still doing to Michael. He deserved to feel bad about it. He deserved everything he felt for being what he was. What even was he? Some tragic mistake? He hated thinking like this. It reminded him of a bad myspace poem about darkness and terrible depression, but it was how he felt. It was the feeling that sat in his gut, and he didn't think it would go away. 

Luke still hated him. The split second of worry the blue-eyed boy had for him was gone, overridden by the hatred that came with Calum hurting Michael. Hurting Luke's new best friend. Luke was protective of Michael, even if Michael could take care of himself. Michael was all dick jokes, laughter, and rowdiness, he didn't need Luke protecting him, but Luke did, and Calum found that out the hard way. 

They had been walking back from morning worship, and Calum was walking quickly, trying to get away without talking to anyone. As he was walking past the duo, he bumped shoulders with Michael rather hard, causing him to hit the ground. It was an accident, and Calum turned back to say sorry when a fist collided with his cheek. He blinked back tears, and cried out in pain, falling to the ground where Michael just was. 

"Don't fucking touch him, Hood." Luke spat. Calum shook his head, looking to Michael who just looked at Calum, mouth open in shock. He waited for Michael to say something, anything, but after a moment he realized he wouldn't. 

"Whatever, wouldn't want to anyway." Calum wanted to cry. 

It took him another two days of not sleeping well to sneak out and walk down to the lake. He dipped his feet into the near freezing water and shivered, delighting in the prickling sensation. He leaned back, looking at the stars that blinked down at him. 

“What are you looking for?" He heard a familiar voice ask. 

Calum sighed, "You shouldn't be out here, Michael. You could get into trouble." 

"So could you." 

"I don't think it would matter to me anymore." Calum said honestly. Michael sat next to him, their hands almost touching. 

“Are you ok? Like, really ok? I’m worried about you Calum. What happened in the bathroom-“ 

Calum cut him off, “No. Just stop , Michael. That needed to happen, it’s over now. I promise I wont do anything else that makes your life more difficult or puts you in an awkward situation.” 

“Needed to happen? What the fuck are you talking about, Calum? That didn’t need to happen, and it didn’t make my life harder. It just worried me. I’m not sure why you keep doing this, pulling away and pretending that everything is fine. But I see you Calum, I see what you’re doing to yourself and it needs to fucking stop.” Calum felt his breath catch in his chest and he looked down at the black water. 

“I’m so sorry.” 

Michael shook his head, “Stop saying sorry. Just be here with me tonight. I know tomorrow everything will change again, but just sit and look at the stars with me.” He pleaded. Calum took his hand.

 

Michael was both right and wrong.

The next morning, they had both slept in past breakfast call, meaning when Calum woke up he woke up to a very grumpy Michael rolling on top of him. 

“Cali, we’re missing breakfast.” He whined. 

“Sucks.” Calum muttered, putting his pillow over his head. Michael moved it out of the way again, pressing a gentle kiss to Calum’s bottom lip. 

“Everyone is away. They won’t be back for another hour.” Michael said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Is that all you think about, Mikey?” 

Michael just laughed, “I’m a teenage boy.” Calum grunted in response. “Come on, Calum.” 

“Michael, you know I’m just going to hurt you again. I’m not brave enough to stop.” He said, his voice solemn.

“Yeah, well I’ll take what I can get. One day we’ll get it right, Calum. I know it.” There was a moment of silence before Michael spoke again. “Have you ever gotten a blowjob?” Calum choked on air, eyes wide. “Is that a yes?” 

“I mean, I’ve had girlfriends, Michael.” He said embarrassed. 

“Fair enough. Have you ever given a blowjob?” Calum stared at his bed sheets. “Hey, you don’t need to be embarrassed. I don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m a horny teenager. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” He soothed. 

Calum blushed, “But I want to.” He whispered. Michael smiled, lifting Calum’s chin so he could look him in the eyes. 

“Maybe we should do this somewhere else.” 

And that’s how Calum ended up on his knees in the shower. It was only a couple stalls over from the shower he sat in just days ago, and he tried to push it out of his mind as he trailed sloppy kisses across Michael’s thighs. 

“Jesus, Calum, stop teasing me.” Michael begged, one hand braced on the wall, the other in his own blonde hair. Calum knew he was avoiding touching Calum, trying to make him understand that they only had to do what Calum wanted to do, and nothing more. Calum wrapped his hand around Michael, watching as he shuddered, biting his bottom lip to keep from moaning. 

“No, I want to hear you, please.” Calum practically begged. Michael let his bottom lip fall from between his teeth. He let out a small whine as Calum experimentally kitten licked his tip, trying to remember what others had done to him. He ran his tongue along the underside of Michael’s cock, then went to focus on the head. 

Calum loved the noises Michael was making, long whines coupled with short fast pants. He would occasionally let his head fall back against the shower wall, the warm water running over his shoulders. Calum took more of him into his mouth and Michael’s hands came down, gripping at his hair. Calum let out a groan at the feeling, and Michael let out a small laugh which was quickly swallowed by a moan. 

“Fuck Cali, you’re so hot. So hot with your lips around my dick. Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Calum loved how loud Michael was, and he loved how he looked, lips parted, Calum’s name and expletives falling from them. “Fuck I’m going to cum, I’m cumming,” He ignored the taste, swallowing before moving back to place gentle kisses across Michael’s thighs and lower stomach. 

They hadn’t heard the door open. 

Calum heard the curtain rustle and a shampoo bottle drop. He pulled away immediately, looking up at Michael who pulled him to his feet. Michael placed Calum behind him before pulling their towels off the rack and handing one to Calum while wrapping one around himself. He grabbed the brown eyed boy’s hand, pulling him out behind him as he looked nervously around the room. 

Calum thought they were in the clear, he thought that he must of been hearing things, or that he was the cause of the noise. 

Then he saw Timothy Smith by the sinks, eyes wide. 

“Smith-“ Calum started to say, stepping to stand beside Michael now. 

“I don’t understand.” Smith said quietly looking between the two.  
 “Listen, you don’t have to, just-“ 

“Is that why you’re always defending him? Trying to make sure Brown doesn’t plan anything else? Because you’re fucking him?” Smith looked between them angrily. “So you’re a fag too?” Michael took a step forward, but Calum pulled him back. 

“Listen, just forget about this, okay? No one else needs to know. Tim, we’ve been friends since we started going to camp. Just let this one go.” Calum pleaded, not letting go of Michael’s hand. 

“No. No, the other boys need to know. They need to know that you’ve been lying to us. You’re just as fucked up as he is!” Calum looked at Michael who was now furious. 

“There’s nothing wrong with Michael.” Calum defended. Smith scoffed and turned away, going to walk out the door. 

“I would watch your back, Hood.” 

Once Smith had left, Calum led Michael back into the main room. As he helped Michael get dressed his mind wandered to what was probably happening in the cafeteria right now. 

“Arms up.” Michael said, giving him a soft smile. Calum did as he was told, and Michael slipped the soft black shirt over his head, causing his hair to stick up at different angles. Michael kissed his nose and did his best to smooth Calum’s hair back down. “Hey, look at me.” Michael said, getting his attention. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I think I am. I’m kind of glad that I don’t have to hide it anymore.” He looked at Michael who was smiling at his comment. “But I’m so afraid of what will happen. I don’t want to paint a bigger target on your back.” Calum admitted. Michael simply climbed up to Calum’s bunk, motioning for him to follow. He did, and when he reached the top, Michael pulled him to his chest. 

“No one’s going to fuck with either of us, ok. No one is going to hurt me and I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. We’re going to get through the last few weeks of this shitty bible camp and then we can go into the real world where not everyone is an asshole like Brown, Smith, and Neilson.” 

Calum smiled, “And you’ll still be with me then?” 

Michael kissed his forehead before nuzzling his face into Calum’s hair, “If you still want me.” 

“I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a few chapters left! Tell me what you think is going to happen with Michael and Calum!


	9. Breakfast Brawl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calum doesn't like how they talk about Michael. Michael is worried. Mali is the best sister Calum could ask for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this took me forever (once again). I have the next few chapters already written out, so I just have to post them. Should be finished by Christmas.

It had been two days since Smith had told everyone about him and Michael, and Calum had never been more nervous in his life. He could feel their eyes on him everywhere he went, and when he passed them in the cafeteria, he could feel the insults they shouted at him in his bones. This morning was the worst.   
“Do your parents know?” He had been carrying his breakfast tray to the table when Brown called out to him. “Do they know their son is a fag?” Calum turned to look at Brown, his stare deadly. The boys just laughed.   
“Oh, that one got to him.” Neilson taunted. “You think they’ll let you back into the house after finding out you got down on your knees for a freak? It’s bad enough that you suck dick, but really, Clifford? He’s a waste of space if I’ve ever seen one.” Calum saw red. He wasn’t sure what happened in the 30 seconds after those words left Neilson’s lips, but suddenly Calum was hitting him. He punched him in face a few times before he was pulled off by the other boys at the table. He felt a kick land on his ribs, knocking the breath out of him, and another, and another.   
He could hear someone yelling in the background, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. He wasn’t sure when the assault stopped but he could hear their camp leader’s voice. He was yelling at the boys who had attacked Calum, shouting about lawsuits, and hate crimes.   
“But sir, Hood started it.” Calum laughed, a splatter of blood spilling out of his mouth and staining his teeth red.   
Calum turned so he was looking up at the ceiling, “Oh, fuck off.” 

Michael fussed over him like a worried mother. He had been the one yelling during the fight; apparently Luke had to hold him back to keep him from getting in the middle of it all. Calum’s glad he did. Eight on two wouldn’t have been much better than eight on one.   
“Are your ribs feeling better?” Michael asked, as they walked to the lake.   
“Yeah, they weren’t too bad in the first place, looks like I’m pretty great at taking a beating.” Calum joked, walking over to a bench and sitting down. Michael frowned and sat down beside him.   
“Don’t say that.” He said, resting his head on the brown eyed boy’s shoulder. Calum turned and kissed his forehead.   
“Sorry, but it’s true, I’m okay Michael. It could be a lot worse.”   
Michael sighed, “I don’t want you to do that again. I know you wanted to defend my honor or whatever, but I really would just like to keep my boyfriend in one piece.”   
Calum smiled, turning to look at Michael, “Boyfriend?” He asked, a grin stretching across his face as he raised his eyebrows suggestively.   
“Oh shut up.” Michael blushed, looking away.   
“No, it’s cute. I like it. I’m your boyfriend.” Calum said kissing his cheek.   
Michael smiled, turning back to look at Calum, “And I’m your boyfriend.” 

Mali found them sitting there a few hours later.   
“Hey Cal.” Calum jumped, pushing off the arm Michael had around him at the sound of his sister’s voice. She laughed at his startled expression. “Calm down, I’m not here to disown you.”   
“Mali-“ Calum started, looking at his sister worriedly.   
“Calum, I don’t care who you love, okay? I love you, and I’m not here to yell at you, or judge you. I’m here to talk to you about what happens after we leave in two weeks, and to make sure you’re ok.” She looked at Michael, smiling at him with warm eyes.   
“You must be Michael.” She said, “I hope you’re taking good care of my brother, he can be incredibly stupid at times.” Michael just laughed and Calum crossed his arms.   
“Come on Mali.” He sighed, but a smile pulled up at the corners of his mouth.   
“Alright, alright. Mom and Dad called me.” She said with a sigh. “Apparently someone called home to their parents and word got around.” Calum blinked back tears. “They wanted to talk to me, make me into some kind of messenger because they’re too bigoted to talk to their own son, but they told me that they don’t want you coming home. Mom probably could have gotten over it, but Dad is furious, and Mom doesn’t want anything to happen-“  
“You mean Mom doesn’t want Dad to beat the shit out of me and have to deal with the aftermath.” Calum said angrily. Tears flowed freely now, and his hands shook at the rage he felt towards his parents. “I’m their son, and they’re leaving me with nowhere to go.”   
Mali sat beside him. “Not nowhere, Cal. As long as I’m around you’ll always have a home. I’ve already bought an apartment and I was planning on moving in as soon as we got back anyway, so I decided that you’re coming with me.” She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Calum looked at her with wide eyes.   
“But Mali, I won’t be able to help with anything, I’ll still be going to school and-“   
His sister cut him off, “You’re my little brother, and I’m telling you that I’m going to take care of you.” She said. Calum looked at her for a moment before launching himself into her arms. She hugged him tightly, crying as well.   
“Thank you, thank you so much.” Mali just nodded into his shoulder, stroking his hair soothingly. She looked up to see Michael looking at the two with a sad smile, his eyes glossy.   
“You’re always welcome as well, Michael. If anything ever happens, if they ever try to send you back to a place like this again, you have a place with us.” She said, extending the hand that wasn’t cradling Calum’s head out to the green eyed boy. He took it, letting out a little noise of surprise when she pulled him forward to join the hug. He wrapped his arms around Calum, his head buried in the crook of Calum’s neck as he smiled. Calum couldn’t help but smile, sandwiched in between the two people who cared for him the most. Now all they had to do was make it through the last two weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment!

**Author's Note:**

> That wasn't as bad as it could've been. This chapter was pretty short, but I was just trying to get it started. Next chapter will be longer. Please tell me what you think in the comments!


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